San Jose International Airport - Gate seat arm rest.
Arm rest of the special seats at the gates of the new San Jose International Airport (SJC) terminal.
San Jose International Airport - Gate seat arm rest.
Arm rest of the special seats at the gates of the new San Jose International Airport (SJC) terminal.

Waiting at the gate of an airport is usually a necessary evil of air travel. This morning, when my flight to Hawaii was ready to board, I was sad to leave my seat at the gate. Why?

There have been stellar reviews of the new terminal at San Jose International Airport (SJC). Today was my first day laying eyes on it. Upon exiting my taxi at departures, I was intrigued by its dramatic profile of sweeping crisp arches. Security lines were long but moved swiftly. On the way to my gate, there were futuristic interactive displays à la The Tech Museum in San Jose.

My eyes started to scan the walls of the airport and was disappointed to see no power outlets in view. This is the greatest source of pain for me at the airport. Finding the one available power outlet to charge my laptop and phone…hoping when I locate an electricity source, it is not beside a smelly garbage can or completely occupied.

And then I saw it and I knew I was in love.

There was an entire row of seats at the gate that had integrated power outlets in the arm rest. I was elated. I sat down and plugged in my devices, noting there was even a USB outlet. San Jose is truly living up to its reputation as the heart of Silicon Valley.

If there was a moment of doubt whether this was infatuation or love it was quickly removed. The WiFi is not only free, but fast. So hypersonic that Clint and I considered if it is indeed faster than the home internet service we have with Comcast.

Dear San Jose airport, my techie self loves you.

You had me at arm rest power outlets, but I fell head over heels for your sexy fast WiFi connection. I look forward to the next time I will have the pleasure to sit on the lap of one of your special seats at the gate.

Loni Stark is an artist at Atelier Stark, self-professed foodie, and adventure travel seeker who has a lifelong passion for technology’s impact on business and creativity. She collaborates with Clinton Stark on video projects for Atelier Stark Films. It’s been said her laugh can be heard from San Jose all the way up to the Golden Gate Bridge. She makes no claims to super powers, although sushi is definitely her Kryptonite.